Month: September 2003

Wow – that came around quickly, didn’t it??? It seems like only last week we were sweltering in the grip of some of the hottest weather in living memory, and now the rainy weather has set back in… Ah well, nothing lasts forever, does it??? Just Christmas to look forward to now – and maybe Hallowe’en, although I might give the trick-or-treating a miss this year!

I’ve had a funny kind of month – sorry I haven’t really been keeping up to date on the old ‘happenins’. It seems that I’ve spent my time either building up to a hangover or recovering from one – sometimes simultaneously! Between various events, social visits and a slowly developing alcohol-fuelled relationship(!), I’ve not had a whole hell of a lot of time to keep the site in shape.

Last week, my sis Jhone and nephew Caelum were over to visit, which meant something like 5 nights of alcohol on the trot. Since I’ve been softened by the English lifestyle, I can’t really sustain that pace anymore! Needless to say, by the time she went home I was suitably enfeebled by alcoholic toxicity and desperately in need of a system flush – still am, as it goes! 🙂

Just a quick note on the fundraising side of things: huge thanks to everyone who dug deep and sponsored me – it will all help to make a difference, and I really appreciate it. Watch this space for details of the next extravaganza…

October is set to be another busy month, with work busying up again (and I was so enjoying the rest!), and numerous social obligations to fulfil (I make it sound such a chore, don’t I???) – although I’ll have to cancel my travel plans to Turin for my friends Anna & Dani’s wedding! Skintness prevails, unfortunately, but I’ll get over to visit them soon enough.

I think I’ll have to plan another party chez moi – the place is feeling quite bereft since the last shindig, and I do love a good bash. Especially if I don’t have to travel for it! 🙂 Anyone who’s interested, keep an eye on the site – this is where you’ll hear about it first.

Plans are afoot to put some life into the old website, with numerous options being considered. Any suggestions to the usual address or the message board please, folks – what would YOU like to see on happenins??? You never know, I might even listen to them…. 🙂

Right – got to slope off and see my brother and sister-in-law in London; it’s been a busy time for visiting relatives! Can’t drink too much, though – I’m still attempting (with limited success!) to detox.

Laters!

Wow – what a fun weekend! For the ill-informed, I had my advanced hypnotherapy course on Saturday and Sunday, and it was hugely interesting stuff. The high point for me was when I had my arm turned to stone by the instructor – interesting…. There was certainly a reprobate element to the class as well, so I fit right in with that little group. Future alcoholic sessions are in the offing – and of course, there’s the diploma course next year. Bring it on!

I’ve still got the odd twinge here and there from the sponsored walk – guess I did more damage to myself than I thought! Still, I keep telling myself that it’s nothing a few glasses of wine won’t sort out. Drinking problem? Me? It’s only a problem when it runs out! 🙂

Life in general is busy just now, although work has eased off to a much saner level – for the moment. I have an overwhelming ‘eye of the hurricane’ feeling; there is much potential work looming, and knowing my luck it’ll all come at once! Still, as I always say, it’s a good complaint – it’d be pretty bad if I’d no work at all…

My sister Jhone and delightful nephew Caelum are coming over to spend the weekend with me – although I suspect that Caelum, at the ripe old age of 8 is still a little young for me to be buying him his first pint, I’ll do my best to show the pair of them a great time. Jhone and I can knock them back while he nurses his Coke…. 😉

Right – I’m out of news, or I can’t be bothered to type any more – whatever. I’m off to organise my terrific social whirl, such as it is…

What a fun weekend that was! I can say this now, because I’m nowhere near as crippled as I was by the end of the walk… 🙂

In fairness, though, the atmosphere was terrific, as it usually is on such events, and the support was brilliant – the massage therapists were a master stroke, I have to say! And as mentioned in a previous post, the countryside lost its inspiring edge after a few miles – you can only walk through so many ploughed fields and meadows before you’ve got countryside overload….

The first day was OK – a 14-mile warm-up that was tiring on the basis of less than four hours’ sleep the night before, and a good introduction to what lay in store. The “tented city” that we stayed in on both nights was equipped with toilets, showers, medic tent, massage tent – who could ask for more? As it turned out, we could have asked for warmer weather.

Tired and stiff from the first day’s exploits, we turned in on Friday night to get a good night’s sleep in preparation for Saturday’s 23-mile blitz. Unhappily, it was not to be. A clear, clear sky (beautiful stars!) gave us a cold, cold night and most people in the camp spent the majority of it shivering and got very little sleep. I, of course, in an August frame of mine, hadn’t thought of bringing thermals, jumpers, any of that stuff – but Julien didn’t even have a sleeping bag! He had to suffice with a couple of blankets – poor guy!

Saturday’s walk was an endurance test – they even had a big hill to deal with a couple of miles from the finish! OK, some people may say that 23 miles in a day isn’t much, but after 14 miles the previous day and a couple of crap nights’ sleep, combined with my ludicrous fitness level, I was in bad shape. I limped into camp that afternoon, close to the back of the pack, aided by a big stick that Julien had found for me to lean on. The Old Man of the Hills, I dubbed myself thereafter…

I wasn’t especially confident about completing the course at this stage. Saturday night, dosed up with painkillers and wrapped up in every item of clothing I’d brought, I managed to grab some shut-eye and was in better shape Sunday morning than the previous one. Off we went on the last 13 miles of the adventure, and to my amazement I finished it! Quite something, if you only knew what I was feeling… 🙂

I’m thinking of volunteering for the event next year – we’ll see. I’ve got my sights set on bigger and better things for next year’s fundraising – possibly the Macchu Picchu Trail in Peru, if my doctor will let me! I do love these fundraisers, and I’m left with an enormous sense of wellbeing from completing the task and raising a pretty decent amount of money for the charity – with oodles of help from friends, family, colleagues, clients and so forth.

So it’s time again to thank everyone who made the event worthwhile. Those who sponsored me just to see me suffer (as was the case in the Nepal event in 2001!) will be eminently satisfied with the results this time! 🙂 But I have to thank everyone most sincerely for their generosity – your money will be going to a most worthy cause. Anyone who hasn’t had a chance to donate yet – now’s your chance. Hit the link on the left, and go for your life!

Watch this space for the pictures, and I’m sure I’ll have gossip and developments as soon as I’m out and about again! 🙂

OK, this is going to be a short one, because I’m still knackered and sore from the whole thing. Overall it went well, with good weather (I’m pretty pink right now!) and great organisation. The people on the trek (I’d estimate the number at a little over 100) were an excellent bunch, and I made a few new friends along the way.

I also acquired a couple of blisters, aching feet, knackered knees and ankles, and a dose of sunburn for those of you who are waiting for tales of pain. Saturday was a killer, with a 23-mile cross-country run leaving the camp full of walking wounded, myself included. The next event of this ilk that I attempt, I WILL make sure to be fitter (I say this every time!)…

Pix will be posted as soon as I can be bothered, and I’ll write in a little more detail about the walk itself. I’d have to say, though, that the Cotswolds, while lovely and very English, are not the most interesting place in the country to walk. After 23 miles of Constable paintings, it kinda loses its edge, y’know?

Anyway, more to come. If you haven’t donated yet, it’s not too late. And if you have, huge thanks – it made all the pain worthwhile… 🙂

Later! I’m off to soak my feet…